2 Chapter 2: Thirty-Three Days of Consecutive Sign-ins

Having the door closed was a good thing. The house David rented used a security door, which was generally impregnable under normal circumstances. Moreover, living in a high-end community, the residents, though not frail, were not particularly strong laborers. Most spent their days in front of computers, their survival skills almost atrophied. Breaking down his door would be a challenge for them.

However, the keys to his door were probably taken by those people. They had already moved almost everything they could from his house. Who knows, in their hunger, they might come back for his 'corpse.' In this world, people could do anything. For example, David never would have believed the little girl next door could trick him into opening his door. This environment forced people to extremes.

After regaining some strength, David walked to the window. Fortunately, they hadn't opened it; otherwise, he would have frozen to death before starving. Slowly, he calmed down.

He checked the time on his phone. In this world, the phone was almost useless. The network was down, electricity was gone, and the phone was nothing but a hunk of metal. That's why it was still with him.

Shivering in the extreme cold, David realized it was 11 PM. In less than an hour, it would be a new day. The voice in his head mentioned daily sign-ins, so he could sign in tomorrow, right? The box of chocolate liqueurs had provided him with the food and a bit of water he needed. Now, he hoped for something warm to wear.

He curled up in a corner of his bedroom, waiting for midnight. His phone's battery was below 2%, and checking the time frequently drained it quickly. By 11:20 PM, the phone was dead.

Forty minutes to go. Counting each second was what kept David going. Without his phone, he counted the 2,400 seconds to midnight the old-fashioned way. When he reached the count, he was almost asleep but managed to complete it without missing a number.

But then he wondered, what if the sign-in wasn't set to start after midnight? Like his favorite game where a new day started at 6 AM. Luckily, the world didn't play tricks on him. Right after midnight, the mechanical voice returned in his mind.

"Today's sign-in reward: Martial Arts Knowledge Fragment*1"

Instantly, David's mind was flooded with images of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and various martial arts techniques. He felt capable of protecting himself. However, he wasn't excited, as these skills were of no immediate use. He was too hungry, thirsty, and cold; martial arts techniques did nothing to alleviate these issues.

Should he rob others? He quickly dismissed the thought. In his current state, he was too weak and stiff to make use of his newfound fighting knowledge. Besides, he didn't know the situation outside. Was he the only one with this miraculous sign-in ability, or did others have it too? Did people awaken other superpowers while his was just signing in?

This lack of knowledge about the outside world kept him from acting rashly. He hadn't lost all hope yet; enduring one more day meant another chance to sign in. As he entertained this thought, more voices appeared in his mind.

"Reward from the day before yesterday: Michelin Three-Star Meal*1"

"Three days ago: Specific House Modification*1"

"Four days ago: Power Banks*10"

"Five days ago..."

"Six days..."

"..."

"Seventeen days ago: Thermostatic Vest*1"

"Nineteen days ago: Floating Surveillance*3"

"Twenty-four days ago: HK45 Handgun*1"

"Thirty-three days ago: Universal Medical Kit*1"

Thirty-three messages appeared consecutively in David's mind, stunning him as he huddled in the corner. Was this a compensation from heaven? Was the hardship he endured over the past month finally being repaid?

Overwhelmed with excitement, David realized he had been signing in for the past thirty-three days, starting from when the cold wave hit. He carefully reviewed the rewards in his mind and found various meals, enough for a long time, including double servings.

Besides food, there were other useful items. First, he materialized the thermostatic clothing. Along with the vest from day seventeen, there were also thermostatic trousers, keeping his body temperature at a comfortable level, unaffected by external weather conditions.

Then, there were power banks for his phone and floating surveillance devices - tiny, controllable gadgets floating in the air, helping David monitor his surroundings and prevent ambushes like before.

And, most importantly, house modifications. He had three chances to 'upgrade' parts of his house, making them stronger or adding extra functions.

His first choice was to fortify his front door.